


Scenes from a Dojo

by Angel_Negra



Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-13
Updated: 2011-05-13
Packaged: 2017-10-19 09:04:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_Negra/pseuds/Angel_Negra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot found a way to make his style work at Dalton Academy. It just worked a little too well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scenes from a Dojo

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 'The Fairy Godparents Job', and Season 2 in general. Written for the second leverage_flashfic challenge on DW.

Eliot paged through the list of sports equipment again. Fencing was a bust for Whitmark, but honestly, there had to be something the kid was good at. He eyed the water polo equipment and had a brief but very clear image of the kid sinking like a rock. Maybe if they duct taped a life jacket onto him...

"Coach Brewer?"

Eliot grunted in acknowledgement. He picked up a field hockey stick contemplatively. It would make for a better defensive weapon if needed. There was an expectant silence from behind him and Eliot turned to see one of the girls, Indigo or Umber or something, and he raised his eyebrows impatiently at her.

The kid bit her lip for a second. "Um. If you had a really annoying boy who wouldn't leave you alone, what would you do?"

"Punch him," said Eliot matter-of-fact. Then he caught sight of the tennis rackets on the wall and reached over to pick one up.

"Oh, okay. Thanks!"

Then the conversation caught up with him. "Wait, what?" But she'd already scampered off. Eliot shrugged and tested the balance of the racket. They were kids. What's the worst that could happen?

Ten minutes later, Eliot found out that the worst that could happen was suddenly having three little girls standing in front of him, all glaring at him accusingly. Umber, or was it Sage, was in tears and clutching her hand to her chest. "It didn't work!"

Eliot glared right back. "Where'd you hit him?"

"In the stomach," said one of her friends. "He laughed."

"And I hurt my hand!"

"All right, all right." Eliot held out his hand. "Lemme see." The thumb was a little red, but nothing felt broken. "Okay, we're going to put some ice on this and then you're going to show me how you make a fist."

After a quick lesson in keeping your thumb on the outside of the fist, Eliot sent them off to catch their rides home and promptly forgot about the whole thing when Sophie started going on about something called a Sciencicle.

*

The next day, Eliot finds about six girls outside his office during lunch hour. Indigo, he'd paid attention in role call, at the front of the group. He eyed them warily. "Yeah?" he said.

"Can you teach us how to fight?"

Eliot thought about it for a second. Sophie had the Whitmark angle covered, and Nate wouldn't let him leave to help Parker and Hardison. He shrugged. "All right." He looked over the group. "Is this everyone?"

Indigo shook her head. "We didn't want to scare you off." She shoved at one of the other girls, who immediately darted off around the corner and led back even more girls. Eliot counted about twenty in total.

Eliot nodded and went to grab a pencil and paper from his office. "Okay, sign your names here and go eat. You're gonna need the energy. We meet up in the gym after classes."

There was some very high pitched squealing that made Eliot cringe and the paper was quickly passed around before they all darted off. Eliot sighed heavily and went to go talk to Nate.

*

Nate looked up from the paper skeptically. "You know we're done in three days, right?"

"Yeah," said Eliot, slouching back into the couch. "So?"

"So, what are you going to tell them about where Coach Brewer is going?"

Eliot shrugged. "I don't know, man. I was thinking about opening up a dojo in the city any ways."

Nate raised his eyebrows.

"It's something to do between jobs!"

"And when we do have jobs?" Nate asked, leaning forward.

"I got some friends who could cover classes."

Nate stared at him impassively. Eliot stared back, trying to keep his focus on Nate's eyes and not that stupid ass toupee. Nate sighed and leaned back in his chair. "All right," he said. "I'll call the parents."

Eliot smiled.

*

Once the job was done, Eliot settled on weekly classes, every Saturday afternoon. The dojo was a nice studio in a nice area of town, so the parents wouldn't freak. Didn't hurt that he wasn't asking a lot for payments. The first Saturday class, all twenty girls showed up, plus one more. Eliot eyed the new kid and raised his eyebrows at Portia, who'd brought her.

"She's our maid's daughter," said Portia. "And she's my best friend! She doesn't have a lot of money, but I'm going to pay for her, okay?"

Hell, it wasn't like Eliot needed the money. "Eh, she can take 'em for free," he said. "Reward for the free advertising."

Both girls grinned brightly and Eliot suddenly noticed all the other girls beaming at him to.

He glared around. "Why aren't y'all changed yet?" He shooed them towards the change room. "C'mon already, we got a class starting up!"

*

"Okay, let's try that kick one more time, Indigo," said Eliot patiently. She'd been struggling with it for the last couple of classes.

Indigo stomped her foot, looking frustrated and fed up. "I can't get this," she snapped. "And I hate my name! Indigo is stupid."

"Yeah, it is," said Eliot. Indigo blinked at him in surprise. "So pick a different one and lets try the kick again."

Indigo stared at him, her mouth hanging open for a few seconds. Then she grinned. "Okay! I'm Katara!"

"Coach Brewer! I wanna be called Andrea!" shouted Pricilla, her hand shooting into the air. And that seemed to be the trigger for everyone else.

"I hate my name too!"

"I don't! I don't wanna change my name!"

"Coach Brewer!"

Eliot eyed the group of screaming, bouncing girls and let out a sharp piercing whistle. "All right!" he snapped. "Here's the deal, we're gonna end class a few minutes early and I'm gonna get you all some paper and pencils and you're gonna write down two names. The one your parents gave you and the one you want." Amy raised her hand. "Yes, even if it's the same one, Amy," he said. She grinned and put her hand down. "We'll have name tags for next class. Deal?" The girls nodded. "All right. Katara. Kick, now."

*

Tara glanced around the dojo curiously. "So this is where you go on weekends?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Eliot shrugged. "Passes the time." He pointed to the far doorway. "Change room's through there. Office is upstairs."

"And you're trusting me with your super secret self-defence class?" Tara crossed her arms and smirked at him.

"It's not a secret," snapped Eliot, rolling his eyes. "You just weren't part of the team before. Now you are. And you're not bad in a fight, good with improvising."

Tara smiled. "I knew you liked me a bit."

Eliot grumbled in annoyance and stalked to the front of the of the room. Tara followed behind at a more leisurely pace. Eliot pulled the class list out of his pocket and thrust it at her.

"...Princess Sonya?" she asked skeptically.

"They wanted to pick their own names," said Eliot with a shrug. "Trust me, it's better than the ones her parents gave her."

Tara smirked. "I can see the value in choosing a new name. So, how's this whole teaching thing going to work?"

*

Eliot sat down on the front steps of the dojo and just breathed in the morning air. Someone sat down beside him and Eliot raised an eyebrow. "Thought you'd be long gone by now."

"And just how would you explain Coach Blade vanishing before she finished teaching them how to fake cry?" asked Tara.

Eliot nodded, keeping his gaze out onto the street. The girls would be arriving soon.

"Hey," Tara said softly. When Eliot glanced at her, she continued in a soft, serious voice. "Tara Carlisle's a solid long con. If whatever you guys come up with for getting Nate out doesn't work, she could use a case."

"Oh yeah?" Eliot turned to face her more fully.

Tara smiled. "She'll even do it pro bono."

Eliot opened his mouth to respond, but was distracted by Katara racing up to them. "Coach Brewer!" She was grinning like crazy, despite the rather large bruise on her cheek.

"What happened to you?" asked Eliot, worried.

"I fought off a kidnapper!" she said proudly. "I kicked him just like you taught me and then I pushed the microwave on his foot and broke it, just like you taught me, Coach Blade! And he yelled and it made the new butler Harold run in and hit him over the head with a frying pan. And the police came and everything!" She paused to catch her breath and glanced back at the car. "Oh yeah, and Mommy wants to talk to you. I'm gonna go change!" And with that she darted inside.

Tara gave Eliot a bright grin. "I bet we could charge her more," she said. "Or start an adult class."

Eliot rolled his eyes and got up to talk to the woman climbing out of the car. He made a mental note to ask Parker to come in and show the girls how to get out of handcuffs and ropes. It'd give her a distraction until they could break Nate out of prison.

End


End file.
